*The Strongest Tribe*, by Bing West, is about the continuing War in Iraq and the difficulties overcome in it. It is focused on the action on the ground, and how the regular soldiers of the US Army have managed to turn the tide of the war.

West seeks to look at the war from an objective standpoint, based upon what has happened on the ground rather than upon partisan views, and is critical of many of the commanders at the beginning of the war. West is continually supportive of the soldiers on the ground, believing that many of their problems were brought upon them by the leaders.

West uses his experience on the ground and integrated with individual units (and draws upon his experience from Vietnam) to narrate the war, with much of it coming from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground.

Upon finishing his descriptions of the beginning of the war, he explains how General David Petraeus and his surge strategy helped turn the war around, but also how significant individual soldiers, advisers, and the Sunni "awakening" were to the effort.

As someone intensely interested in the history of warfare, I found *The Strongest Tribe* to be a good way to increase my knowledge of a conflict I have very little knowledge of. I found West's non-partisan viewpoint to be refreshing.

I try to read anything and everything about America's current involvement in Iraq. Whether it is Thomas Ricks two-book series, Bob Woodward's quadrilogy about the former President Bush, or my recent favorite "Tell Me How This Ends", I try to read across political lines to find out "the truth" about Persian Gulf II.

With that being said, this is Bing West's THIRD book about the Iraq War - however, "The Strongest Tribe" is different from his first two books in that it doesn't simply describe a specific campaign but instead details the Second Gulf War from its inception to its miracle turnaround in 2007/2008.

Bing has been on the ground in Iraq since the war began and presents a coherent and accessible narrative that takes the reader through the entirety of the laborious involvement of America's military in Mesopotamia.

While there are numerous books that cover the same material (I know because I believe that I have read them all) this book is easily the best of the bunch. Bing has a way of simplifying the dizzying political, social, and military complexities that the United States military is/was dealing with in Iraq. His book is straightforward, easy to follow, and is formatted in chronological order - which helps the reader to comprehend and appreciate the enormity of America's undertaking.

If you are looking for a single book that is filled with relevant information that covers every aspect (both American and Iraqi) of America in the Second Persian Gulf War, this is the book for you. Bing West has few peers when it comes to the Iraq War. Read this book and I promise that you will benefit greatly from it.

The American led coalition war in Iraq, and aftermath is little understood by the public at large, on a tactical, day to day level. The insurgent campaign, ongoing since the fall of the Baathist regime in 2003, is especially hard to sort out, beyond the political back and forth back home. The Strongest Tribe, Bing West's third book on the Iraq War attempts to place the political and strategic decisions in context of the tactical decisions made by units and individuals on the ground in Iraq, particularly in the 2006 - 2008 time frame.

West, a former officer in the Vietnam War, and later a senior civilian in the Defense Department in the Reagan administration, has spent over 30 years studying the way for a superior military force, like the United States, to fight and win against an insurgent foe. What he brings to this book is his understanding of the higher levels of military and civilian culture in Washington, the reason why the US military approaches fighting and his expertise concerning insurgencies.

The book does cover the period roughly from the toppling of the Hussein regime to immediate aftermath of the new counterinsurgency strategy by Gen. Patreaus, though half the 400 page book concerns the late 2006 to mid 2008 period. West has limited his writing here to mostly the actions of the American military in Anbar and Baghdad. He writes for the general reader, with perhaps a basic understanding of how the modern Army and Marine Corps operate, and he takes time to personalize his narrative with stories of junior officers and enlisted men, in part to show their character, as they face an extremely difficult situation.

The Washington political class just comes off awfully in this book, especially on the Congressional level. President Bush's actions are fairly critiqued. The real disagreements at the top of the military are clearly described. What comes through is a real frustration on West's part between the outstanding service on the foggy front, and a disingenuous message back home.

The reader of this book should come away with a high appreciation of the monumental work accomplished in a very difficult environment by many members of the American military. West at times is prone to gushing in his admiration to where you can say his respect is of a level of love. Also, the reader should come away with a clear since of how the failings and misunderstandings of the top levels of the executive and legislative branches, at best hindered, and at times harmed a very difficult mission. Most of all, the reader should come away with a distinct sense of the terror, brutality and grittiness that faced the American military, and the in a sense hopeful story of how such soldiers were able to overcome and achieve objectives in Iraq that would have seemed fanciful a generation prior.

West closes his book with real lessons and applications that can be applied from the Iraq War that should be understood by politicians, the military and the informed citizen. The informed citizen should especially come away with a sense of disappointment that general culture they participate in, is making it harder to produce wise politicians and self denying warriors who stand on watch for them.